Heart Bound
by FatGlamour
Summary: Heero Yuy walked out of Relena Peacecraft's life three years ago. She about to find out why and she's not going to like it. And it's a secret that might just kill her in the process. Vampirefic, slightly OOC, 1xR romance.
1. Chapter 1

**Heart Bound **

**Prelude**

_**Changeling**_

"_What do you do when the one thing you need to save your life is the one thing that would make life unbearable?" – Mick St. John, "Moonlight", Episode 4_

**June 26 AC 199**

"Thank you, Takeshi."

"I'm not doing this for you." He grumbled, head nodding against his will. "I'm doing this for Takara."

"I know…" The man – if he could even be called as such – smiled. "To protect innocents is engrained in your blood–"

He thought of her. Why did he think of her?

"–blood that's now warring against each other."

He clenched his teeth to keep them from clinking against each other. They were chattering so hard he thought they might break.

"At first, you'll be feral – living up to our reputation as monsters. It will take all your strength to be normal, to keep it a secret."

He snapped his eyes up at he man, fear that she had taught him pouring into his eyes, fear he wished he'd never learned. "You didn't mention that."

"It's not going to be a bed of roses, Takeshi," he snapped then looked away, gathering his composure. Then the man had looked at him again, eyes matching each other and he whispered, "You might even find it best to hide away until the thirst is gone."

"Where would I go?" he had said, trying to fight the trembles in his very bones, trying to fight he panic rising in him. She had taught him how to live – how could he live without her?

But, he thought with cruel clarity, it was something that must be done. It was too dangerous for him to be around her and he couldn't protect Takara fully whilst keeping his job.

The man watched as sadness lit up the other's eyes.

_She's better off without me anyway._ He believed it but the thought still made his stomach turn.

He shook so hard it was as if his body was seizing. But the man, his _father_, looked upon him not with pity but with acceptance and a bit of pride.

His body rebelled against him by the little boy hidden inside, happy he made his daddy proud.

* * *

**July 1 AC 199**

He couldn't stop his hands from shaking.

He had never felt so not in control of his own body before. Everywhere he saw blood. Everywhere he saw harmless, innocent people that were just a few heartbeats away from satisfying his hunger. It would have been fine. He could have lived with the temptation to feed off strangers.

But friendship meant nothing to this hunger. Love meant nothing to this hunger. He could have killed them. He could have killed _her_.

"Mr. Yuy, are you… going somewhere?" came the secretary's timid voice as he neared her.

Heero stopped walking, fully aware of the trembling in his hands and the pulse drumming in her neck. He hoisted his duffel higher on his shoulder and turned to her, reaching with one shaking hand into his jeans pocket. Glaring at his wobbling hand as he held out a small slip of paper to her, he tried to speak but had to close his mouth and try again.

"I-I'm resigning, Sarah… There are numbers here if…R–" he closed his eyes in pain. "If she needs me…"

Sarah's brown eyes grew wide as she took the note from him, looking up she said, "But, Mr. Yuy, why?"

"…Personal reasons," he growled as the bloodlust rose within him. He stood in place, rigid and trembling in order to push it down.

"Mr. Yuy, are you… alright?"

Heero looked at her, but said nothing, walking out the door as calmly as he could muster. Once he stepped into the sunshine, he felt the pain and sickness take over. A black jeep was parked on the curb and a young girl, no more than seventeen, sat in the driver's side looking at him from behind stylish black shades.

Heero rushed over and crawled in the passenger side seat, tossing the duffel in the back. He buried his head in his hands, shaking violently. The girl took off her glasses and looked on him with pity in her blue eyes, eyes that matched his own.

"Keshi-kun, it will get better," she said, watching as he chomped down on his own hand, blood sliding down his fingers and staining his khaki pants.

She sighed and reached below her, dragging a milk jug filled with a dark crimson liquid. She passed it to him. "That should do you until we get to the airport."

He looked up at her, red eyes gleaming, fangs shining in the glare from the sun – tinted windows only did so much. Heero tossed the cap and chugged, not slowing down until half was gone. The girl let out a breath of relief and Heero looked up at her, blood trickling down his chin.

"Thank you, Kari…_ imoutosan_…"

She smiled gently at his endearment. "You're welcome, _oniisan_." She started the car and looked out at the road before pulling out. "Let's go home."

Heero however couldn't help looking back at the building one more time.

_I'm sorry, Relena… It's better this way…_

* * *

Note- 

_Oniisan_– elder brother

_Imoutosan_– younger sister

* * *

**Chapter One**

_**The Pieces He Left Behind**_

_Sparkling angel I believe  
You were my savior in my time of need  
Blinded by faith I couldn't hear  
All the whispers, the warnings so clear  
There's no escape now  
No mercy no more  
No remorse cause I still remember  
The smile when you tore me apart_

_You took my heart  
Deceived me right from the start  
You showed me dreams  
I wished they would turn into real  
You broke the promise and made me realize  
It was all just a lie_

_- Within Temptation "Angels"  
_

**October 22, AC 202**

"What do you mean you found him?" Zechs Marquise asked, sitting in the library at his sister's mansion. His long white-blonde hair was pulled back loosely and he raised his hand as if to rub it through his hair before he realized.

Lady Une, President of the Preventer Agency, was on the other end, looking down at a manila folder in her lap. She lifted a document, scanned it and then looked back up the screen. "It wasn't an easy find, Wind." She said, pushing her glasses a little higher on her nose with one finger.

"No doubt of that," the man muttered, a bit bitterly.

"We'd have had a better time of it if you hadn't burned the numbers he left behind." Une said testily and Zechs had the grace to squirm under her gaze.

"It was for Relena's own good," he grumbled. Une merely glared, but let the subject be dropped.

"Heero is now known as Takeshi Kurosaki and he is actually the president of a blood distribution company, leading supplier to colony hospitals. Kurosaki Industries, I believe was the name of it."

"Blood distribution company… Not exactly something I would have imagined Yuy going into. He definitely is not the corporate type."

"Maybe having family changed him," Une commented, waving away Zechs' statement.

"Family?" Zechs' eyes snapped up from the information she had faxed. "What are you taking about Une?"

"We found a girl in contact with the company, Takara Kurosaki, supposedly Heero's sister." Zechs looked suspicious and flipped through the papers on his lap. Une glanced down at her own paper and spoke casually, "The details are sketchy on her. It's possible that a blood relation, or even a legal relation, doesn't exist."

When the man didn't comment, his superior stared at him hard – though the effect was lost by him not even noticing. "In any case, I am leaving it up to you to get in touch with Heero."

Zechs' head snapped up again. "Why me?"

Une rolled her eyes at him. "Because you are the one closest to Relena." Then she glared, "And it will seem fairer coming from you, the one who hates him the most."

Zechs' eyes narrowed. "Very funny…I don't hate the man."

"I beg to differ," she snapped but then her gaze grew gentle and she asked softly, "Zechs, do you feel this Antonius Johnson to be more suitable than Heero Yuy?"

Zechs' face wrinkled in distaste, causing Une to bark out a short laugh.

"I take that as a no. Zechs, left up to you Relena would be an old maid. She'll find someone. She'll fall in love and if it happens to be Heero Yuy, or Takeshi Kurosaki, it doesn't really matter. It's her life, Zechs–"

"I don't need advice from you on how to take care of my sister."

Une's glasses flashed. "Fine. Make sure she is protected. I will not be present at the masquerade."

"I know. Thank you."

"You're welcome… And next time, Mr. Millardo Peacecraft, I will refuse to clean up your messes."

The screen went black.

Zechs sat in the chair for a long moment going back and forth from staring at the screen to the parchment. He didn't break from his thoughts until two arms circled around his shoulders. Noin gave him a peck on his scruffy cheek and walked around in front of him. He tossed the papers aside and pulled her onto his lap.

Idly, she twirled a lock of his hair around his fingers. "And how exactly do you plan to tell Relena that Heero Yuy is walking back into her life?"

Her blue eyes gauged him for a reaction but he only turned his head to gaze out the window. Quietly, he said, "Lucy, Heero Yuy will not be walking back into her life."

Her brow furrowed and she used both hands to make him look at her. "And how, my dear husband," she kissed his nose "do you plan to pull this one off?"

"You're trying to break me…" he said suspiciously and his wife rolled her eyes at him.

"Zechs answer the question."

"No matter what Yuy's help entails, Relena will never know."

She sighed. "Is it really your place to–"

"Noin, I had to watch my sister wither away to almost nothing. Sally had us on suicide watch for five weeks." He growled with pain sparkling in his eyes as he remembered three years ago as if it were yesterday. "I vowed to protect my little sister. I will not sit back and watch Yuy kill her piece by piece."

He tightened his hold on her and she rested her cheek atop her head, comforting him but her thoughts seemed far away. _Heero, I can't help but think you left for a good reason… and Zechs is wrong… Relena will find you. You two have always found each other._

* * *

Almost overwhelming fear seemed to take over her senses but the package stayed in her arms, given to her moments ago by a sobered Duo Maxwell. 

"_It's clean."_

"_It's from him, isn't it?"_

"…_We can get rid of it if you want, Lena."_

"_I know, Duo… Was there an address?"_

His silence had been her answer. The anger in his stance had sealed it. His violet eyes were lit up in compassion for her. She would have been thankful to have such friends, such protectors, if her scarred heart didn't feel like a pincushion.

But she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

She never could.

No matter how much she wanted to. Instead, she always ended up hating herself.

And her weakness.

Because she always took them.

Her body trembled as she stepped slowly over to her bed, locked in the confines of her room – her safe house and her prison. She seated herself on her bed before she slowly tore at the brown packaging. Inside was a rich, scarlet leather-bound journal etched with intricate Celtic knots.

There wasn't a slip of paper for his note.

There always was one.

Heart beating hard in her chest, she opened the cover – to find _nothing_. Breaths coming fast, she flipped through it – _nothing_. She held it up and shook it – _nothing_. She rummaged through the packaging – _nothing_. Tears flowed wretchedly down her cheeks and she snatched the book up, slinging it across the room. Its weight made it hard to throw and it just landed a few feet away with a dull thump.

She crumpled to the ground, biting her lip hard to keep from screaming.

"I want to hate him… Why can't I hate him…? If only… if only…"

Her hand strayed to a small cedar chest under her bed. Pulling it out, she held it tight in her arms, holding the hard, unfeeling thing as if it was a lifeline.

"Oh, Heero… _please_… just come here and kill me…"

* * *

_Come here and kill me…_

He jerked awake, staring up at the icicles on the glass and lay still for a moment. He allowed himself a few moments to dream of her. His fingers twitched as they remembered her skin. His lips burned remembering her kiss. His heart ached as it remembered the day it was once whole.

When she was in his life, before decades and bloodlust stood in their way…

Vaguely, an alarm clock resounded from outside his frozen tomb and, sighing he made to start the day.

After pulling on jeans and a black sweater, he made to open his door only to have it open for him. Takara came charging through, curly black ponytail bobbing behind her. Her blue tank top clung to her skin snuggly and her jeans were scrawled in sketches and painted words. She looked up at him smiling brightly, pulling with one hand on her black and white striped glove.

"_Dochirahe, oniisan_?" She asked, bounding over to give him a kiss on the cheek. Heero stood still and took it.

Afterwards, she stood back, bobbing on her heels and grinning gaily. Her azure eyes sparkled with mischief and she appeared almost as a child rather than the pseudo-adult that she was.

She had aged a few years since she was turned.

"What is it, Kari?"

"You have a phone call and Tenchi insists that you take it in your room."

"Why?" he asked cautiously.

"I don' know," she said shrugging. "I'm just the messenger."

Heero stood staring at her innocent bounding and then, grabbing a comb, he brushed it through his hair, saying, "You want something, _imoutosan_?"

She grew still and bit her lip, one fang keeping it in place. "I know you have meetings today but I was hoping that we could go out tonight…" she spared a glance up at him then quickly looked down again. "You know… just to get out of the manor…"

Heero sighed, fighting down every desire to keep her locked away from the cruelty of the world. "We'll see, Kari-chan."

"'M 'k," she mumbled, looking up as the vid-screen beeped. "Well, I'll leave you to it! Later, oniisan!"

He smiled after her, watching her run from the room before he went to the screen and pressed the button for the call. He stood in shocked silence for a long moment, staring at the screen. Until finally, he growled, "What do _you_ want?"

"Yuy, I find this no easier than you," said Zechs Marquise staring back at him. "But at this moment it is of the utmost importance."

"I'm gone from three years. No one contacts me in those years and now I'm seeing your face. You were the one who wanted me gone above all."

Zechs snarled at Heero's image and leaned toward the screen, "I would have let it been another three years or more but Relena's life could very well depend on your skills."

Heero ran a hand through his hair but looked up at Zechs, determination on his face.

"I'm listening."

* * *

"Relena…?" 

Slowly, Duo pushed open the door to his ward's room. It was dark with the evening sun beating against the pulled curtains on the balcony doors. The deep shadows clung to the walls and in the midst of them, she lay curled in on herself on her bedside rug. He sighed and walked forward, slowly making his way toward her.

"Princess…?"

He stepped right up to her, his boots in her vision but she made no move to acknowledge him. He stood in silence, staring down at her, absently fingering the butt of his pistol against his side.

"There wasn't even… a note…" she whispered, a single tear sliding over the bridge of her nose.

He crouched down beside her. She stayed still. He took her limp arms and gently pried them from the box, setting it down gently beside her. Then, he pulled her dead weight up and positioned her to sit on his lap. She curled up there like a small child, finally moving on her own and burying her face in his uniform, the floodgates burst open again.

"It's-it's like he's t-t-trying to _buy_ my f-forgiveness…" she sobbed, fisting her hands in his jacket. He just listened and began to rock her back and forth. "He's doesn't _need_ t-to! I'll _give_ it to him… b-because I d-don't know how t-to _stop_!"

Duo gently massaged her head as she cried, hard wracking sobs bursting from deep in her chest. Sighing, he looked at the nightstand, where a ragged teddy bear was sentinel.

_Heero Yuy, you really are a fool…_

* * *

"We need extra security for a few days. All we would need would be for you to run some diagnostic scans at the mansion and cover her for a few functions. It should give us time to find the leak." 

"When do I start?"

"Halloween, at Representative Marshall's masquerade ball. She'll be wearing her tracer and I'll supply you an extra console."

"I won't need it."

He wasn't surprised and then the man's eyes narrowed. "You are to be silent and sightless. Relena is to know nothing of your presence."

Silence stretched for a long time before a mumbled, "Fine."

* * *

Note- 

_Dochirahe_– How are you?

_Takeshi_– Japanese 'military, warrior'

_Takara_– Japanese 'treasure'


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

**Monsters in My Closet**

"_A monster then, a dream,_

_A discord. Dragon's of prime,_

_That tear each other in slime,_

_Were mellow music when compared to him."_

_Alfred, Lord Tennyson "In Memoriam"_

"Oh! It's gorgeous!" Takara gushed, arm hooked with her brother's. He cast a glance at her and let a small smile cross his face at her exuberance. Her blue eyes with sparkling behind her whimsical mask and she stared across the dance floor as if it was an oasis in a desert.

"Oh, Keshi-kun, can you believe it?" She gushed, pulling him forward into the crowd.

Heero stayed silent, figuring it wouldn't be a good thing to tell his impressionable sister that he had been to larger and more impressive balls when he worked as a bodyguard. Finding a small, quiet, and dark alcove, he led her into it.

"What are we doing?" She pursed her lips at him. "You promised to dance with me."

"I know. I will."

"You promised, Mr. Phantom," she repeated, tapping his nose with one fingertip.

"I know." He brushed one errant black curl from her mask and placed it behind her ear. He took off his own mask and held it loosely. "Be careful tonight. None of–" He looked over his shoulders then looked back at her, this time with red eyes and fangs gleaming. "None of this tonight."

"My _oniisan_ is so handsome," she giggled, unperturbed.

Heero rolled his eyes at her antics and slowly morphed back, peering at her, some sort of veiled emotion in his eyes. "You'll be fine, right, _imoutosan_?"

"Keshi, I'm a big girl." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You don't have worry about me."

She patted his face and melded into the crowd. Heero sighed and replaced his mask, looking at the place were his sister had disappeared. "But it's you, Kari-chan. That's what worries me."

* * *

_But the Phantom of Opera is there… inside my mind…_

It was times like this when she missed him the most. Not that she didn't wish for him every second of every day, dream of his face in nearly every moment, commanding herself every few minutes not to forget his features.

But she knew she would never truly forget him. No matter how frequent the days were that she wished she had never met a boy-soldier named Heero Yuy.

She had taught him humanity. Was that what taught him how to break her heart? He was able to break her heart before though. He broke it the first day she met him. He just continued to take stabs at it over the years.

_Where is he now?_ She wondered. She clasped the necklace around her neck, the crescent moon pendent sliding easily between her fingertips… just like he had slipped so easily through her fingertips… when he ran away and left her to heartache…

"Relena…?"

She broke out of her reverie and looked up into the concerned face of her best friend. Hilde's pixie face was scrunched in worry and her husband looked over her shoulder, brows furrowed over violet eyes.

"You okay, 'Lena?" Duo asked, plopping down in a chair beside her and shrugging off his Preventer jacket.

"Yes, Duo, I'm fine… just thinking is all…"

He gave her a look but dismissed it. She caught the eyes of Wufei who raised a brow in her direction. She swallowed hard and shook her head.

"Well, I sure wish there'd be some excitement at this party," Duo grumbled, reaching forward to take Relena's untouched wine.

Hilde smacked his hand. "You're on the job, Maxwell."

"But babe, just one!" He whined. Relena couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"'Bout time I heard you laugh tonight," commented Cathy, grinning brightly as she walked over with her uniformed brother.

"How was the dance?" Relena asked, smiling.

"It would have been better if it was a Spanish commodore coming to whisk me away to some uncharted island. Instead, I got my own brother. The prices you pay."

Trowa opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a very chipper, "Hi!" right beside him.

Duo snorted, watching the girl stare at Trowa, who was obviously waiting for a response. He blinked at her and looked back at Cathy who giggled behind a hand. Hilde tried to smother a smile and Wufei even appeared amused.

But Relena stared at the girl, taking in her dark blue dress and silver tiara. Her long black hair was in curls pilled atop her head and some framed her soft round face. She was short in stature, head only coming to Trowa's chest. She seemed every bit normal but something about her blue eyes stunned Relena and almost took her breath away.

"…Hi…" Trowa muttered.

The girl bit her lip in an endearing manner and then bumbled out quite fast, "Would you like to dance?"

Trowa blinked at her again. Hilde was holding her laughter in so much that her eyes were welling with tears. Duo was overcome with silent laughter and Wufei was smiling. And the girl was oblivious.

Sensing her brother's stunned nature, Cathy broke in with a peppy, "Well, lookie there, Trowa, you don't even have to ask a girl to dance. They just ask you!"

Trowa shuffled his feet a bit and muttered, "…Shut up, Cathy…"

The girl furrowed her brows and stamped one foot in a childishly cute manner, "Well…?"

He looked over his shoulder at Relena who, smiling, nodded and shooed him off. He looked back at the girl and muttered. "Sure…"

A smile that almost shone lit up the girl's face and she pulled Trowa by the hand out onto the dance floor.

In one burst of relief, laughter rang around the table. Hilde wiped tears from her eyes and Cathy held her sides tightly. Wufei shook his head with a smile on his face and Quatre, smiling, took a seat at the table.

"Oh my goodness, that poor girl… stuck dancing with my brother!"

"Do you have any idea who that was, Quatre, Relena?" Hilde asked, still wiping her eyes.

"No," Quatre said simply and Relena shook her head, staring were the girl had disappeared.

Then Cathy lurched forward, staring out at the dance floor. "Did Trowa just _laugh_?"

Relena and Hilde giggled at Cathy stunned expression in which afterwards she took Relena's wine and downed it. Duo looked on pitifully.

"If all he needed all these years was a teenager on a sugar-high, I'd have gotten him, like, a _puppy _or something a long time ago."

Duo snorted, eying the waiter longingly as he floated about balancing wines and champagnes on a plate.

"Excuse me," came the slick voice from an older, white haired man, who approached them silently. He didn't bother with any sort of costume, only a tux and he held out his hand in Relena's direction. "My dear, I feel we must have a chat."

"Antonius," Relena stated flatly, all joy gone from her face, and whispered to Duo and Wufei, "This won't take long."

Both men nodded relunctantly and took a glance at the silver bracelet on her right arm.

* * *

"Takara's making a fool of herself," Bryan Marshall, host of the party, commented taking as sip of the wine he had spiked with blood. He, too, had secrets.

Heero Yuy, who stood by his side, only nodded and took a drink from Mary's outstretched hand. The girl smiled flirtatiously at him before attaching herself to Bryan's opposite side.

"Of course, your friend doesn't seem to mind." At this, Heero looked up at this and scanned the dance floor.

"What?"

"Haven't you seen who's she's dancing with?" Heero continued to scan the floor without saying a word.

Bryan chuckled. "Goodness, Takeshi, you really are behind."

"She could have done worse," he muttered once he spotted her and her dance partner. He looked up at Marshall. "Have you been keeping an eye on them?"

"Yes, and one on the princess as well… just as you told me to." He took a long sip of his drink then turned serious, "The Foundation does not like Antonius Johnson's pursuit of Miss Peacecraft. Kitty believes – and it is the general agreement – that he is much too close for secrecy of our kind – loose cannon that he is."

"How close?" Heero growled, eyes glowing crimson and a growl erupting in his throat.

Bryan grinned and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "Down, boy."

Heero struggled to bring himself back under his control. Bryan watched with a critical eye, ignoring Mary as she trailed her black fingernails up and down his neck, pressing herself tight against his side with one of his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Are you planning on answering my question, Marshall?" came the gruff response from Heero.

"Word is, if our esteemed Mr. Johnson had his wishes, Ms. Peacecraft would be kept in a cell and see the outside world only when he wanted her for _special purposes_." Bryan smirked as Heero's hands balled into fists. "At this time, his request for marriage is unanswered but he keeps every suitor at bay, including trying to misguide your comrades."

Bryan gazed over a Heero and gripped his shoulder again. "Why did you let her go, Takeshi?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Marshall." Heero murmured and in a moment he melded into the shadows and was gone.

Bryan smiled, stopping his companion's ministrations with a light touch. Mary kissed his fingertips and then ran one long fingernail along his bottom lip. Bryan placed his glass on the table behind him and then clasped Mary's dainty hand.

"Oh look, Mary, he's gone," he said in a singsong voice. Mary smiled, gleaming fangs looking back at him. "Now, my dear, I know you must be famished but we must wait."

Mary pouted but then looked over at the dance floor. "No, love, the mortals are guests."

Mary pouted again. Bryan leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Run along and play, my dear. At least, try to enjoy yourself."

The woman smiled demurely and pecked his cheek, sauntering away into the shadows.

Bryan looked out at the dance floor and muttered. "Just don't kill the party, Takeshi."

* * *

"Antonius, _let – go – of – me_," Relena commanded slowly and deliberately, the fear in her eyes betraying her calm voice.

Johnson, however, was not to be deterred and only gripped Relena's arm tighter, bruising her and making her hiss in pain. He looked odd now, Relena thought – almost inhuman. His skin paled dramatically and he trembled a bit. The way he stared at her made her want to curl into a fetal ball and scream for help.

"Now, Miss Peacecraft–"

"Darlian," came Relena's feeble rebuttal which he ignored.

"I have been–" He licked his lips. "–_exceedingly patient_ with you. I have put up with your turnarounds and combatants. I have listened at end to your bodyguards' talk of your business when I know you are actually with your brother and giggling over something with your sister-in-law.

"Miss Peacecraft, you have not seen reason. I tried to offer you a fruitful marriage with everything you ever wished for at your disposal." He leaned toward her face, breaths mingling together. "You have offered me nothing!" He spat in her face, throwing her hard into the wall behind her.

"I have noticed that you turn suitors away at your disposal," she said defiantly, raising a proud chin at him.

Suddenly, he gripped her by the jaw and peered into her eyes. She watched in horror as he transformed before her eyes, fangs gleaming and eyes swirling like demonic scarlet fire. "Who's the one you're waiting for? Who's the one I _smell _on you?"

Relena whimpered as he bared his fangs at her. He smiled wickedly. "Never matter, he will never see you again."

Then, quick as lightning, he dug his fangs in the soft flesh of her neck. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she felt her blood being drained from her. She began to black out as she wobbled in his tight grip.

Clenching her eyes tightly shut and focused on the weight of his necklace on her chest._Heero, if you were here… would this be happening?_

_I don't know if I'm ready to die…_

Suddenly, Johnson was thrown from her across the hall and a tall man held her against him. She felt warm in this stranger's arms and involuntarily, she nestled her face in his jacket. A spicy scent traveled up her nose, a smell she vowed she'd never forget.

"Heero…?" she whispered, but he didn't have the chance to respond by the time Johnson stood, staring him down.

_Surely this is a dream… or a nightmare… _She looked up at her attacker. _Either way, please, God, just let me stay in his arms…_

"Kurosaki… So, it's you." The man chuckled and Relena buried her face again. "Rumor was you were a Gundam Pilot… Leave it to Kurogane to have sons glorified in history." Relena turned around him the embrace to see Johnson wiping blood from his lips. "The jester bastard doesn't deserve to be glorified."

"Everything I did… none of it was for my father."

_Father…? What all has changed since he left?_

His voice sent shivers up Relena's spine and she leaned back to see his face. Cool Prussian blue eyes looked down on her, warming under her gaze. Tears began to flow again but she made no move to wipe them away. She raised a trembling hand up to his face, caressing it gently.

"It is you…" she smiled brightly.

He cast a glance to the wound in her neck, still leaking blood and staining her metallic silver dress. "Relena–"

"No matter how fairytale-like this is, how _sugar-sweet_ this is…" drawled Johnson, sauntering forward a few steps, "Kurosaki, you interrupted my dinner." The man smiled, pinkish fangs prominent on his blooded face. "I'm afraid I must have it back."

Heero looked down at Relena's frightened face and handed her off to a dark-skinned woman in a black dress, who seemingly appeared from nowhere. She stared after Heero's form as he stood off against him, ignoring the woman as she crooned over her neck.

Johnson suddenly seemed to fly at Heero, fangs bared. Heero stood still – like a prisoner at the guillotine.

"_Heero_!"

But then, abruptly, Heero had Johnson from behind with his own fangs buried in the bureaucrat's neck.

_No… No… no no no no no no… _Relena thought rapidly, not blinking at the sight. Her mind didn't have time to register it as Heero was thrown high over Johnson's head with superhuman strength. Heero, however, only landed on his feet.

Johnson chuckled sinisterly. "Gundam Pilot tricks I see…"

Heero smirked. In a flash, Johnson had his fangs buried in Heero's forearm but Heero overpowered him and used his weight to fall on him. They struggled, ripping and tearing at each other.

Relena watched at they slashed each other with their teeth. When Heero's teeth ripped a chunk out of Antonius' arm, she felt she might faint. She watched Heero overpower the stronger man, watched in morbid fascination as Heero licked the blood from his lips. She stood, unsure what to think, unsure what to believe, but when Johnson sunk his fangs in Heero's neck, she screamed out his name again.

Suddenly, a bright flash occurred and once the light fade, Heero and Johnson were at opposite ends of the hall. Both of them held in place with what must be security personnel.

"Thank you, gentlemen, for crashing my party," drawled an oddly accented Representative Bryan Marshall as he sauntered up to them and then put back a glass of wine, "and for the love of all things holy, please, clean yourselves up. You look like a pair of rabid dogs."

Relena looked over and for the first time in her knowing him, Representative Marshall was disheveled. Still breathing heavy and scared out of her mind, she watched as Marshall ran a hand through his hair and sucked down another drink brought to him by a the same woman that had attempted to comfort her.

She'd been so caught up in the fighting that she hadn't even felt the woman move away from her.

The woman attached herself to Marshall's side and trailed black fingernails up and down his neck. Marshall wrapped an arm around her and buried his head in her hair, gaining composure. As he was pulling back, she rubbed her wrist gently against him mouth. He shook his head, and placed a kiss on her forehead, whispering something in her ear. She smiled brightly at him and walked away, hips swaying.

Marshall looked up at his security and nodded. The bulky short man released Heero, who stood in place, wiping his mouth with a tattered sleeve and avoiding Relena's wide, searching eyes. Johnson growled demonically from across the hall, still struggling in the large man's hold.

Bryan's gaze slowly turned to Heero. "Now, Takeshi, what exactly possessed you to have a nice little vampire brawl in the middle of my party…" He cast a glance at Relena "…and in the presence of impressionable mortals?"

Relena's head whipped to the side, and she stared at him, mouth open wide. Marshall ignored her.

"He was _feeding_ off her…" Heero wiped his mouth again, looking up at his elder. Marshall raised his brow, looking at his friend sarcastically. Heero's eyes were glowing an unholy scarlet and his fangs gleamed a bit in the chandelier light. Relena jumped back in alarm but he did not notice. "He was going to _kill_ her!"

Marshall was quiet for a moment before he turned to the perpetrator.

"Johnson, I have a question." Marshall stated quite calmly, walking over to the vampire. When he reached him, he gripped him by the throat and lifted him above his head. He squeezed, watching the other's face turn puce and, growling, he said, "This is my house. This is my party and Miss Relena Peacecraft is a guest in my home. You had no right to attempt to drain her and leave me to clean up your mess! If Takeshi had not found you, we would have had a breach of security that the Foundation would never recover from, thanks to your idiocy!"

He gave the throat a final squeeze before dropping Johnson to the ground. He fell hard and gagging, trying to rise to his feet. Quickly, the large man clasped him on the neck with a huge dark hand and then hauling him off down the hall, half dragging him.

Marshall looked after them scornfully before looking at Heero. "Takeshi, get cleaned up." Heero didn't respond. He didn't even move.

Sighing, Bryan looked over at Relena's trembling form. "Miss Peacecraft, it is okay. You are no longer in any harm."

Relena spared a glance at Heero, but her gaze lingered on Johnson's form. "But you're… you're like them…"

Sadness lit his grey eyes, "Yes, my dear, I am like them."

Her tears began to flow once more. "You're all the same…" She looked at Johnson and back at Marshall. "Monsters… you're all monsters…"

She kicked off her heels and ran as fast as she could past Heero. He called out to her and made to run after her.

"Takeshi! Let her go! She will not get very far anyways. She's lost a lot of blood." Heero stopped and dropped his head into his hands. Bryan walked toward him, looking at him sadly. Once he reached his side, he whispered, "My friend, I'm sure she did not mean it."

"I expected nothing less…I am a monster after all…"

Bryan cast a heated glare at Johnson. "She's not in her right senses. She only said that because Johnson nearly killed her. Once she starts thinking straight, she'll remember the times you spent together. Just watch her. Be there for her and she'll turn around."

"I can't do that." Heero muttered. "I can't do that. I walked away from her. I caused her to give up on us."

"True, but I think the pieces are still there." He walked forward and clasped his friend's shoulder. "Her tears and her fear for your life tell me that."

Heero looked at him, suspicious. "How do you know she feared for me?"

"Mary," he said simply, grinning.

Heero snorted. "So she does talk, after all."

Bryan's barking laughter reverberated down the hallway as both ignored the carnage at their feet.

* * *

Note-

_Oniisan_– elder brother

_Imoutosan_– younger sister


End file.
